04Jul13

Syria's disparate opposition coalition will meet today to find a new leader in
order to reassure western and Arab backers that the rebellion can be trusted
with the advanced weaponry that could stem the military advances of the
government.

The opposition, which at one point looked just weeks away from toppling
President Bashar al-Assad, has been beaten back in recent months, prompting
fears from allies that the rebellion could be stamped out.

Adding to the effectiveness of the President's renewed offensive, the
opposition coalition has been unable to unite since the Syrian National
Coalition (SNC) lost its leader during a disagreement over potential talks with
Assad's government.

The fracturing, which has allowed radical Islamist to colour the opposition's
agenda, has made Western countries reluctant to send weapons despite
earlier promises to aid the President's enemies.

The exiled leaders of the opposition have been unable to exert authority on the
ground, where rebels are under pressure in the strategic city of Homs and
trying to hold on to shrinking patches of territory across the country.

Meeting today in Istanbul, the SNC will aim to install a new, unified leadership
that might discourage apathy among international supporters and encourage
greater integration with forces inside the war-torn nation.

"The best solution is to create a civilian-military council and move into Syria,
with the coalition remaining as an assembly," said Kamal al-Labwani, a senior
member of a liberal bloc of the coalition.

More than two years into a conflict that has killed more than 90,000 people,
the dividing lines have become increasingly muddied.

The West, which has transition from reluctance to support the violence to an
acceptance that advanced weaponry might hasten then end of the war, has
been plagues by fears that the rebellion has become dominated by militant
Sunni Islamists, including groups allied to al Qaeda.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia has assumed a key role in supporting the opposition
and has begun limited delivery of arms to the rebels, including anti-tank
missiles. But ahead of today's summit, a western diplomat said: "The
Americans will have the final say on Saudi support. On the surface, U.S.
military pledges are minimal, but indirectly, Washington's role is big."

Several names have surfaced as strong candidates for the presidency of the
opposition in recent weeks, including Ahmad Jarba, a tribal figure well
connected with Saudi Arabia, and Mustafa Sabbagh, the Qatari-backed
secretary general of the coalition.

[Source: By Oliver Duggan, The Independent, London, 04Jul13]

This document has been published on 08Jul13 by the Equipo Nizkor and Derechos Human Rights. In accordance with
Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a
prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational
purposes.